Use the suboxone as prescribed (sublingually) or you won't quit. Simple as that. It caused me and MANY others to fail who haven't done it that way.
My recommendation on your sub intake (and yes some of it may be a bit much but you want to do heavy doses in the beginning so you don't get high and it deters you from using)
I've gotten clean on suboxone as short as 1 week's time (actually 8 days) but it sucked and it hurt, trust me you don't want to do it that way. If you can afford a dope habit you can afford to do subs long term. Methadone is meant to be a year or more, so is suboxone. I can't safely say to cut down your suboxone usage to any shorter term than that, since your chances of slipping up and going back to heroin are going to be great as is.
AND PLEASE TRUST ME WHEN I SAY THIS:: Days 1 & 2 are rough. You will want to use. Spare yourself and DON'T. Days 3 & 4 are going to suck as well, but will be slightly better. Days 5 & 6 it eases up, and day 7 you will start feeling normal. I swear to you, everything in this last line is true and if you can make it to day 6 you have basically gotten yourself clean and just need to avoid temptation to use mentally.
Where did you hear that? I'm assuming from some doctor who only sees $$ and laps up everything the Suboxone rep tells him or her. Because that information is completely false. Suboxone CAN be used for a year or more, but it is NOT "meant" for that. Being on Subs for such a long time is only recommended for those who need it for long-term MAINTENANCE, and that is the minority rather than the majority. Suboxone works best when a relatively quick taper is done, generally between 2-3 weeks. The reason for this is that Suboxone is really only meant to buy you some time to get away from the lifestyle, find a hobby or job to fill the void, and to get you through the really rough beginning phase. It's JUST as addictive as any other opiate/opioid and the withdrawals last much longer. That's why professional detox centers will start weaning you off after the 2nd or 3rd day.
When I was in detox (May 9th - 13th), they started me on 4mg Subutex the first day and second day. The third day I was down to 2mg per day... and the last day, I took 1 mg. From there I went to rehab, and I stayed on 1mg for three days, then .5 the next three days before getting off completely. I had little to no withdrawals, I was so comfortable that it was a joke really, and in fact the comfort factor is the main reason I ended up relapsing. I thought, "Oh that wasn't so bad... I can do that again!" Hahaha WRONG. The withdrawals were only so comfortable then BECAUSE of my superfast taper... it made the withdrawals so comfortable that being in detox was almost like being on vacation at times.
After I relapsed, it was back to the Subs (Suboxone this time). Except I took a much larger daily dose and tapered much more slowly doing it on my own, so that when I finally jumped off at around 1 mg, I was in a world of UNBEARABLE (literally) pain. I kept myself on it for too long... long enough to get addicted to the Suboxone... and I ended up relapsing AGAIN just to get rid of the suffering... it was torture. I wish I was exaggerating, but no. My blood pressure spiked so sky high and the anxiety was so terrible that I was having very violent tremors and shaking, to the point I couldn't even pick up a glass of water at times. It was just really bad, I've never felt anxiety like that in my life, and believe me I've had more than my fair share of anxiety attacks! Everything else - the sleeplessness, fatigue, lack of appetite, the runs, dehydration, watery eyes and runny nose, constant yawning, the RLS, muscle and bone pain, the out of whack body temperature, even waking up drenched in a cold sweat (the one symptom I dread most) - all of that would have been SO bearable if it weren't for the horrible, horrible anxiety. It's something I never want to experience again. I actually refuse to get off of any type of opiate or opioid until I have a script for a muscle relaxant and benzo in my hand. Didn't even make it to the 36 hour mark before I caved. I truly felt I was going insane; I constantly just wanted to just scream, loud, and cry, and run a mile all at the same time. However I couldn't do any of that, God knows I tried, but the fatigue would win out every time. And so the anxiety would build and build until I quite literally felt I would either explode or go completely insane, whichever came first. It was, hands down, the most terrifying and physically traumatizing experience I have ever been through. And ALL because my dumb ass didn't want to taper more quickly.
And that, right there, is what you have to look forward to when you take Suboxone for longer than a couple of weeks, max. Some people do need it for maintenance. However, many people don't... but greedy doctors keep them on it for so long that, when the time comes, they can't get through the withdrawals. And the whole time they could have been just fine and made it through the worst of the withdrawals simply by using Suboxone for 1-2 weeks while doing a relatively quick taper. Obviously you should always do your own research, but a lot of the time people don't start doing that until they realize something is wrong... and by then of course it's too late. It's sad really. Just completely messed up and a picture perfect example of how corrupt the pharmaceutical industry has become.
Long story short... is it safe for long-term use? Sure. The withdrawals won't actually kill you, unless you have a pre-existing heart condition, but even then the risk of actual death is extremely rare. Is it recommended though? No way. And are the withdrawals more comfortable than what you started Subs for to begin with? HELL no, and they might even be worse in some cases, depending on your DOC. It's a slippery slope with Subs. Anyone considering ANY type of opioid replacement therapy - no matter how long or short the taper - should do a hell of a lot of their own research first, fully understand what they're getting themselves into, and have a tapering plan in place BEFORE they even THINK about putting that shit under their tongue. It isn't something you need to be on for a year or more... that actually doesn't even make any sort of sense medically speaking... :/
I don't mean to get on your case, it just bothers me when I see misinformation being spread like that. Like I said, it could very well be the reason someone is deterred from getting clean, or the reason they do "get clean" but end up with a (possibly) even worse addiction than they started out with. Anyone considering it should exercise extreme caution... Subs aren't something to fuck around with at all. And don't even get me started on methadone, OMG... that's an even worse drug than Suboxone to be on for a lengthy period of time! I don't know where you heard all this... but it's a very potent opioid with a VERY long half-life, and many people will attest to the fact that it's even harder to kick than heroin. Some clinics will even hospitalize you once you get down to the 30 mg mark, because medical supervision is crucial when quitting methadone... that's how bad the withdrawals are. It isn't called "liquid handcuffs" for nothing! I highly recommend to anyone considering methadone that they watch the documentary Methadonia before going forward with it... THEN decide...
Aside from that, you gave some pretty solid advice/insights, I'll give you that!
OP - you're probably through the very worst of it by now. I give you mad props for even making it to a couple of days, even if those days were spent on your couch! That takes A LOT of willpower and a ton of strength... it's better than I could ever do anyway... good for you. Hang in there, you've made it this far, you can do this!!
